Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1887-02-17
A BROKEN RAIL.
Part of a Train PIunges Down a
Vermont Gorge to a Froz-
en- River.
Nearly Fifty People Meet a Frightful
Death In Its Most Agoniz-
ing Shape.
white River Junction (vt.) special. !

White River Junction (vt.) speclal.i
An express train, bound from Boston fol-
Montreal, met with terrible accident neai
Woodstock. on the Central Vermont
Railroad, early Saturday morning. The
train started from this city on time, but was
detained at White River junction, so it was
about an hour and half late when it left
there. 1t consisted of locomotive, bag
gage car, postal car, two passenger coaches
and two sleeping cars and was running al
the usual rate of speed. When about two
hundred yards south of the end of the Deck
bridge, near the old Windsor Station, o
DroKen ra11 was STRUCK. Tue iUcomutfve,
baggage car and postal car broke away from
the rest of the train, passing over the
bridge in safety. The rest of the train was
thrown from the rails and continued on the
road-bed until it came near the end of the
bridge, but there it ran over the abutment,
and all OF the cars fell into the White
River, some fifty feet below. The gorge
at this point is frightful, and when the
cars went down there was terrible crash.
AS soon as possible the detached part of
the train was stopped and ran back to the
scene of the disaster. The screams of the
injured were heartrending Assistance also
came from people living in the vicinity,
and everything was done 10 rescue and re-
lieve the injured. Soon after help arrived
it was discovered that fire had started in
the first passenger coach, and soon the
entire train was ablaze, thus adding new
horror to the already frightful catastrophe.
Those present were powerless to stop the
fire, and devoted themselves entirely TO
attempting TO rescue those imprisoned in
the wreck.
The rescuers met another and an unex.
pected obstacle in the heat, which had be.
come so intense that they were obliged to
relinquish their efforts to save the sufferers,
and were compelled to retreat to place of
safety for themselves, and to become un-
willing and horror stricken witnesses of
the awful holocaust. In addition to this,
and to add to the terrors and sufferings of
the passengers, the weather was intensely
cold, and the rescuers were hindered thereby
in their work. No water could be obtaine d
with which to check or to extinguish the
flames.
There were between eighty and ninety
persons on the train. OF these thirty five
are accounted for as among the wounded,
thirty-three are dead, four are unInjured,
leaving only four unaccounted for. 1t is
utterly impossible to identify more than ten
or twelve of those recovered, the clothing
being entirely gone and the bodies burned
to a crisp. Every article of clothing, scrap
of paper, or other thing found is being
carefully saved for the purpose of identifi-
cation, and parties having friends unac-
counted for will be afforded every means
or clew to the Identification of lost or un-
known.
STORY OF SURVIVOR.
Mr.. Henry w. Tewksbury of West Ran
dolph, VT, the lecturer, states that he was
in the first day coach. He was DOING Mt
the time of the accident, but was aroused
by feeling the car jumping up on the rail-
road ties. He had been in two railroad ac-
cidents before this and he knew what the
sensation portended. Realizing that an
accident was about to occur he jumped
from his seat, with the intention of making
his escape. The train seemed to come to
standstill or go very slowly. He thought
it was all right, and SO sat down
again. Then, without moments warning
that anything further was to occur,
the car seemed to leap into space and then
came terrible crash. For moment he
was stunned and scarcely knew whether he
was dead or alive. He tried TO move, but
found he could not bulge an inch. He
noticed with great alarm that fire had
broken out Mt the further end of the coach.
He struggled with all his strength to free
himself and screamed for help, but there
was no one at hand to help him. It was a
time of mental torture, but still he could
not help noticing an old couple who were
few seats above him. They sought
to get out, but they were hope
lessly tied down by heavy seats.
The flames approached the couple
with frightful rapidity, and the aged pair
seemed to feel that there was no hope for
them. The last he saw of them they were
locked in each others arms and in the act
of kissing. The smoke and flames now
enveloped them, hiding them from view.
Mr.. Tewksbury then gave himself up for
lost. He seized his fur cap and wound it
around his face SO as to cover the eyes
and hide the dreadful view of approach
ing death. AT this time the railroad bridge
above him was one mass of fire, and heavy
burning timbers were falling all about
him. Having leaned back resignedly to
meet what seemed 10 be his fear ul fate, his
hopes of life were renewed by hearing
voices. He unwound his fur cap and saw
the engineer and fireman close at hand.
He called to them frantically for assistance
which they preferred at once. Seizing
hold of him his rescuers sought to pull
him out, but failed. Thinking that his was
n hopeless case they were about to leave
him to help others, but he begged them to
try again and TO break his leg if necessary.
They did so and managed 10 get him out,
breaking The leg and an arm in the effort.
The flames were so close upon Mr.. Tewks-
bury that his clothing was burned from his
body.